Lubricating device for the surfaces of locomotive driving-boxes.



No. 860,818. PATENTED JULY 23, 1907.

M. MILLETT.

LUBRIGATING DEVICE FOR THE SURFACES 0F LOGOMOTIVE DRIVING BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED AMA. 190a.

MICHAEL MILLETT, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

LUBRIGA'IING DEVICE FOR THE SURFACES OF LOCOMOTIVE DRIVING-BOXES.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1907.

Application filed Au t; 4,1906. Serial No. 329,204.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, hIICIIAEL MILLETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubricating Devices for the Surface of Locomotive Driving-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful lubricating device for the surface of locomotive driving boxes and driving wheel hubs, and has for its object to provide an inexpensive, durable and efficient device of this character, which will be effective for the purpose designed.

A further object is to provide a device whereby the lubricant is fed automatically from the reservoir through the wall of the driving box to the surface thereof and then instantaneously distributed thereupon by the hub of the driving wheels; said lubricant being in a constant state of agitation and being con veyed from the reservoir to the surface to be lubricated by reason of the lateral movement and constant jar of the locomotive when in motion.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character whereby the lubricant cannot seep to the surface of the driving box when the locomotive is not in motion, thereby creating a great saving of lubricant.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a lubricating means for the surface of locomotive driving boxes, which will be possessed of extreme simplicity and be easily and inexpensively applied to any locomotive driving box or trailer box now in use, thus rendering the invention practical and useful.

With these and other objects in view as will pertain to a device of this character, my invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference denote similar parts throughout the several views :Figure 1 is a central sectional view of a locomotive driving box with portions thereof broken away, clearly showing the arrangement of the several parts showing my invention. Fig. 2 is a view looking in direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is side elevation of the valve-stem. Fig. 4 is an end view of the head thereof. Fig. 5 is an end view of the shank of the valve-stem. Fig. 6 is an enlarged end view of the head of the valve-stem in section on line XX of Fig. 3 looking in direction of the arrow. Fig. '7 is a detail in section of the horizontal opening in the wall of the driving box, and Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view showing the front surface of the locomotive driv ing box.

Referring to the drawings 1 designates a locomotive driving box and 2 the oil or lubricant chamber or reservoir which is formed into the top of all locomotive driving boxes. The wall 3 of the driving box 1, it will be observed is provided with the horizontal opening or passage 4 which leads from the reservoir to the sur face to be lubricated; the end leading to the surface to be lubricated being of conical form and being formed with the annular shoulder 5 at the base of the conical shaped portion, the object of which will be described hereinafter.

My invention which is adapted to be applied to any locomotive driving box now in use, comprises a valve-stem 6 which is essentially of circular form in cross section having portions thereof at its rear cut away to form a triangular end '7; the opposite/end of the valve-stem being enlarged as at S and formed with a circular groove as at S) to form a seating in conjunction with the shoulder 5, of the passage 4-, the remaining portion of the head being formed of conical contour, the periphery thereof being cut away at a plurality of places as at 10 to form flat surfaces which prevent any cutting or grinding of the head with the conical surface 4, of the horizontal passage 4. The angular end of the shank in conjunction with the walls of the opening through the apertured plug 11 provides a plurality of spaces 12, leading from the reservoir to the feed chamber 13, which is formed in the horizontal opening 4 and between the plug ll, and the surface 14 to be lubricated. Through these openings 12, lubricant may pass to the feed chamber 13 where it is held until it is forced to seep from the feedcchamber 13, to the surface 14 to be lubricated, which it is caused to do automatically, owing to the lateral movement and constant jar of the engine when in motion.

In applying my invention to a locomotive driving box, I first place a coiled spring 15 made of fine spring wire around the shank (i of the valve-stem and then. place the latter into the horizontal opening 4, as clearly shown in Fig. 1; when this has been done I pass the angular end '7, of the shank 6 through the opening of plug 11 and then by means of a wrench, I screw the plug 11 to the position as shown in Fig. 1, thus allowing a portion of the shank to project into the reservoir.

The coiled spring 15 before being coiled is covered or provided midway of its ends with a piece of sheet lead or the like 15 to form a weight for the spring, so that it will have a tendency to work the spring with the least jar of the engine, thus imparting a reciprocating motion to the valve-stem thereby opening and closing the feed opening and conveying lubricant to the surface to be lubricated. The end of the spring engaging the head of the valve is soldered to the head as at 16 so that whenever the spring vibrates due to the constant jar of the engine when in motion, the head of the valve-stem will reciprocate and alternately open and close the feed opening.

The operation is as follows: When the locomotive is in motion, there is a constant jar, which mechanics term the lateral motion of the engine; this it should be observed tends to impart a reciprocating motion to the valve-stem due to the iact that the spiral or coiled spring is not of suiiicient strength to resist the lateral movement or constant jar of the engine when in motion; consequently the lubricant is caused to seep from the iced chamber 13 between the outer surface of the tapered head 8 and the conical surface oi the opening 4 and to lind an outlet through the small opening 17 to the surface 14, to be lubricated. It will readily be seen that the shoulder 5, when the valve-stem is in a reciprocating motion is not permanently engaged with the seating 9 of the head 8 thus allowing lubricant to seep from the iced chamber to the surface 14. The

Hat portion 10 with which the tapered portion of the head 8 is provided, allows the lubricant to easily work its way to the suriace 14 and further should any sand, dirt or any extraneous matter become lodged or in any way come in contact with the surface of the tapered head, it would not cut or grind as these flattened places 10, provide an orifice or opening which communicates with the chamber 13, when the shoulder is not in engagement with the seating 9, thus allowing the sand or dirt to work its way into the feed chamber and prevent cutting of the conical head or opening. After the lubricant has been conveyed to the surface 14, it is evenly and instantaneously distributed thereupon by means of the hub of the driving wheel. To assure the more even distribution of the lubricant upon the surface 14, 1 provide the same with a pair of grooves 16, radiating from the opening 17 as clearly shown in Fig. 8, which grooves always carry a supply of lubricant for the surface oi the hub of the driving wheels to distribute when the locomotive is in motion, it being understood that no lubricant can seep its way to surface 14 when the engine is at rest, since the spring yieldingly holds the seating 9 of head 8 in engagement with shoulder 5, thus closing communication with surface 1 1. i

In Figs. 1, and 2, I have shown a V-shaped groove 18, the purpose and function 01' which is to feed the lubricant to passage 1-, when the level of the former has descended beneath the point of location oi the lowermost space 12.

Having thus hilly described my invention; what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is'.-

1. In combination with a locomotive driving-box provided with a lubricant reservoir and a passage connecting the reservoir with the surface of said box, a sliding valve in said pa. age, and a spring for controlling said valve,

said spring being of increased weight at its central portion.

2. In combination with a locomotive driving-box provided with a lubricant reservoir and a passage connecting the reservoir with the surface of said box, a controlling valve in said passage, and a coiled spring surrounding said valve and having its central coils of increased weight as compared with the remainder thereof.

3. In combination with a locomotive driving-box provided with a lubricant reservoir and a passage connecting the reservoir with the surface of said box, an apertured plug closing one end of said passage, a valve having a valvestem passed through said plug aperture, :1 head on snid valve, and a coiled spring between said head and plug, said spring being centrally weighted.

4. In combination with a locomotive driving-box provided with a lubricant reservoir and a passage connecting the reservoir with the surface of the said box, an apertured plug elosi one end of said passage, a valve, a stem for the valve having cut-away portions on the end extending through the plug aperture, a coiled spring surrounding said stem and secured at one end to the valve head and at the opposite end abutting said plug, and a weight on the spring at poin intermediate its length.

In combin. .ion with a locomotive driving box having an oil reservoir and a passage connecting said reservoir with the surface of the box, an apertured plug at the juncture of iid reservoir and passage. a spring pressed valve in said passage having a stem projecting in said aperture of said plug. said stem having cut-away parts at points where it passes through said plug aperture, a head on said valve, said head being conical and having a circular groove therein and being formed with llat surfaces on its conical portion. I

G. In combination with a locomotive driving box having an oil reservoir therein and a passage connecting said reservoir with the surface of said box, said box surface being formed with grooves which lead into said passage, and a spring held displnceable valve in said passage, hav ing a tapered head formed with cut-away parts.

7. In combination with a locomotive driving box having an oil reservoir therein and a passage leading from said reservoir to the surface of said box, said passage adjacent said surface of the box being formed with a conical de pression having an annular shoulder at its base, and a spring pressed valve in said p ige having a conical head normally seating in said depreu on and having an annular groove to receive said shoulder.

S. In combination with a locomotive driving box having an oil reservoir therein and a passage leading from said reservoir to the surface of the box, said passage adjacent said surface of the box being formed with a conical depression having an annular inwardly projecting shoulder at its base, and a valve in said pass ge having a conical head SOfltllf in said depression, said valve having an annular groove receiving said shoulder and having a plurality of iiat surfaces on its conical head.

i). In combination with a locomotive driving box having an oil reservoir therein communicating with the surface of the box, means for controlling the egress of the oil to said surface, and means for movably mounting said means, said mounting menus embodying a resilient element weighted to as. st the displacement thereof.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MICHAEL M lLl'ilGlT.

Witnesses Fnnon. .l. lhnisox, (lumen 16. Gx'rnwoon. 

